Article holding bracket

ABSTRACT

A windshield mounted bracket to removably and adjustably hold a radar detector including suction cups for removable windshield attachment, an adjustable strap bracket having flanged bottoms to seat into corresponding grooves in side walls of the detector housing and a rotatably adjustable connecting ball hinge.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

Relates to a horizontally and vertically rotatably adjustable windshieldmountable bracket for a radar detector.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

A radar detector is a popular item as an accessory in a motor vehicle.It is an item of significant value and it is well not to have it openlyexposed while a vehicle is parked in a public area.

In order to keep such a device from public view, costly remote mounteddetectors with dashboard and under dashboard controls have been providedbut these controls obstruct free movement of the body in under thedashboard area or project outwardly from the dash in an obstructingmanner.

Brackets to hold detectors are windshield mounted or clipped onto thewindshield visor and either have a nonadjustable angular relationshipbetween the bracket mount and the support portion of the bracket or havea linear hinge with a limited adjustment to hold the detector.

The above and other disadvantages are overcome by the bracket structureof the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide substantialimprovement in a bracket structure to retain a radar detector.

In a further object bracket provides a swivel or universal adjustmentbetween the mounting plate attached to a windshield and the supportingplate which carries the radar detector.

The swivel joint in the bracket is a ball joint which together with atransversely adjustable strap bracket to retain a radar detectorprovides a substantial improvement in known bracket structures.

The instant bracket provides further improvement by permittingadjustment in any desired direction.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in vertical section of awindshield and in side elevation of the invention herein, mountedthereon;

FIG. 2 is a view in section and in plan taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1 asindicated;

FIG. 3 is a view in bottom plan taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1 asindicated; and

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical section taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 1 asindicated.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, in FIG. 1, a windshield 10 of an automotivevehicle is shown and mounted thereon in operating position is thebracket 12 which comprises the invention herein.

The bracket has two separated operating parts, a windshield mount ormounting plate structure 14 and a radar detector supporting platestructure 16 and these two parts are operatively connected by auniversal swivel joint connecting structure 17.

Said mounting plate structure 14 comprises a flat plate member 15substantially triangular in plan having mounted on the outer faceportion thereof, as here shown, three suction cups 18, 19 and 20 at eachapex of said plate member. Said suction cup 18 is secured to said platemember for self-adjustment therewith and in the instant embodiment isshown having a loose fitting rivet connection 18a therewith to adapt tothe curvature of a windshield. The other two suction cups are connectedto said plate member by conventional plastic rivets 19a and 20a.

The supporting plate member 16 is substantially rectangular in planhaving beveled forward edges and having therethrough transverselythereof and spaced inwardly from the rear end 16b thereof a pair ofseparated transverse slots 23 and 24. At each side of said supportingplate or support member in alignment with said slots are upset angledpairs of facing side edge portions 25 and 26 forming support slots orchannels through which extend strap members 29 and 30 having their innerspaced apart end portions 29a and 30a respectively overlying said slotsand each end portion having a headed screw 31 extending through itsrespective slot and itself to be secured by nuts for lateral adjustment.Said strap members have right angled portions or arms 32 and 33extending downwardly and respectively having their lower ends 32a and33a angled inwardly to form flanges which are received in accommodatinggrooves at each side of a radar detector 53 as indicated at 54 and 55.

Now will be described the structure 17 operatively connecting saidmounting plate and said support member.

Substantially centrally of said plate 15 is a bolt 43 extendeddownwardly therethrough and the same is secured by a lock nut 45threaded thereon at the underside of said plate 15.

The extended portion of said bolt is threaded into the upwardly flaredsleeve 46 of a ball 47, said ball being the swivel portion of the joint.Said ball is retained between a pair of parallel spaced plates. Thelower plate member is formed by a portion of the plate 16 and spacedthereabove is an upper retaining plate which is shown as a substantiallycircular plate 49. Said plates are held in vertically spaced relation bythree bolts 51 as shown.

Said plates are apertured at 16a and 49a to have portions of said ballextend partially therethrough in forming a bearing surface for saidball. Said bolts adjust the tension on said ball to control the verticaland horizontal rotational movement thereof in providing a universallyrotational adjustment of said support member relative to said windshieldmounting plate.

Referring to FIG. 4, said radar detector is shown in operating positionas held by the flanges 32a and 33a and by a sliding movement is readilyinserted into or removed from its operating position. Said strap sides32 and 33 will have sufficient flexibility to apply a snug holdingtension onto the side grooves which exist on most radar detectors.

In FIG. 1, said bracket is shown retaining radar detector 53 in anoperating position. The angular relationship between the support plate16 with the radar detector held thereby and the mounting plate 15 isreadily adjusted by simply manually tilting said support plate into anydesired position any desired degree.

The vertical spacing between the mounting and support plates 15 and 16is adjusted by the extend to which the bolt 43 is threaded into saidsleeve 46.

The bracket by the use of suction cups is very easily mounted onto awindshield and the suction cup 18 has a loose fitting connection withthe plate member 15 for a self adjusting seating of the mounting plateto accommodate the curvature of a windshield.

When the vehicle having this bracket therein is parked in a public area,the bracket is very readily removed from its mounting onto thewindshield and may be placed on the floor of the vehicle or under thefront seat as not to be seen as this bracket and the radar detector arevery likely objects for theft event to the extent of having a car windowbroken to be reached.

Thus a very adaptable bracket is provided for easy mounting and foruniversal adjustment which represents substantial improvement over otherknown brackets and which provides ready adjustment to adapt to the widthof a radar detector to retain the same.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made inform, details, arrangement and proportions of the product withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention which, generally stated,consists in a product capable of carrying out the objects above setforth, in the parts and combination of parts disclosed and defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bracket removably mounting a radar detector onthe windshield of an automotive vehicle, having in combinationa planarwindshield mounting plate member, means carried by said plate memberreleasably securing the same to said windshield, a supporting platemember retaining a radar detector comprising a planar top wall, spacedinwardly from the rear end of said top wall are a pair of separatedtransversely aligned slots, a pair of extensible strap members disposedtransversely of said top wall having their respective adjacent endportions overlying said slots, securing means extending through each ofsaid adjacent ends and the respective slots thereof, the remote endportions of said strap members respectively extending downwardlydepending from the side edges of said top wall, the lower end portionsof said depending strap portions being angled inwardly in facingrelationship forming flanges, said flanges being arranged to be disposedin grooves respectively at each side of a radar detector, a universallypivotal swivel means connecting said mounting plate member and saidsupporting plate member in operating relationship, said swivel meanscomprises a bolt secured to said mounting plate member extendingdownwardly therefrom, a plate member spaced above said top wall of saidsupporting plate member, a plurality of bolts holding said spaced platemembers in spaced relation, said spaced plate members having alignedapertures, a ball disposed between said spaced plate members andextending into said apertures, said ball having an upwardly extendinginternally threaded sleeve, said bolt being threaded into said sleeveoperatively connecting said mounting plate member and said support platemember, said bolts adjusting the tension upon said ball between saidspaced plate members, and whereby said support plate member isuniversally rotatable vertically and horizontally relative to saidmounting plate member.
 2. A bracket removably mounting a radar detectoron the windshield of an automotive vehicle, having in combinationaplanar windshield mounting plate member, means carried by said platemember releasably securing the same to said windshield, a supportingplate member retaining a radar detector comprising a planar top wall,spaced inwardly from the rear end of said top wall are a pair ofseparated transversely aligned slots, a pair of extensible strap membersdisposed transversely of said top wall having their respective adjacentend portions overlying said slots, securing means extending through eachof said adjacent ends and the respective slots thereof, the remote endportions of said strap members respectively extending downwardlydepending from the side edges of said top wall, the lower end portionsof said depending strap portions being angled inwardly in facingrelationship forming flanges, said flanges being arranged to be disposedin grooves respectively at each side of a radar detector, a universallypivotal swivel means connecting said mounting plate member and saidsupporting plate member in operating relationship, said swivel meanscomprises a bolt secured to said mounting plate member extendingdownwardly therefrom, a plate member spaced above said top wall of saidsupporting plate member, a plurality of bolts holding said spaced platemembers in spaced relation, said spaced plate members having alignedapertures, a ball disposed between said spaced plate members andextending into said apertures, said ball having an upwardly extendinginternally threaded sleeve, said bolt being threaded into said sleeveoperatively connected said mounting plate member and said support platemember, said bolts adjusting the tension upon said ball between saidspaced plate members, whereby said support plate member is universallyrotatable vertically and horizontally relative to said mounting platemember, and means locking said bolt relative to said mounting platemember to prevent relative movement therebetween. .Iadd.
 3. An apparatusadapted for removably mounting an article on an interior surface of thepassenger compartment of an automotive vehicle, comprising:mountingmeans for operably detachably coupling said apparatus to said interiorsurface of said passenger compartment; supporting means for operablydetachably engaging said article; and joint means for operably couplingsaid mounting means and said supporting means, said joint meansincluding swivel means for selectively controlling the orientation ofsaid supporting means relative to said mounting means along a pluralityof rotational axes, said supporting means including a mounting memberoperably coupled to said joint means and transversely adjustable bracketmeans shiftably, operably carried by said mounting member for operableengagement of said article, whereby said article is shiftablypositionable relative to said mounting member and said mounting memberis swivelable relative to said mounting means such that said article isrotationally and transversely positionable relative to said mountingmeans. .Iaddend. .Iadd.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein saidmounting means comprises a member having suction means for releasablysecuring said plate member to said interior surface. .Iaddend. .Iadd.5.The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said suction means comprises at leastone suction cup. .Iaddend. .Iadd.6. The apparatus of claim 3, whereinsaid joint means comprises a substantially ball-like member operablycarried by said mounting means, said ball-like member being rotatablycoupled with said supporting means. .Iaddend. .Iadd.7. The apparatus ofclaim 6, wherein said supporting means includes means for frictionally,rotatably receiving said ball-like member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.8. Theapparatus of claim 3, wherein said adjustable bracket means comprises apair of opposed strap members for operably engaging said articleoperably coupled to said mounting member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.9. Theapparatus of claim 8, said strap members each including first portionsshiftably carried by said mounting member and second portions extendingdownwardly from said first portions, the lower end of each of saidsecond portions being angled inwardly in facing relationship formingflanges, said flanges adapted to support said article. .Iaddend..Iadd.10. The apparatus of claim 8, said mounting member includingchannel structure defining a pair of opposed channels for shiftablyreceiving said strap members. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The apparatus of claim10, including friction means operably coupled with said channelstructure for operably, frictionally engaging said strap member withsaid mounting member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The apparatus as claimed inclaim 3, said article being slidably receivable with said bracket meansalong an insertion path of travel, said bracket means being shiftablerelative to said mounting member along a transverse path of travelgenerally normal to said insertion path of travel. .Iaddend.